Peepshows

ABSTRACT

A peepshow comprises an elongate cardboard tube into which slides an insert having a base and side and end walls, one of which end walls has a peep hole in the form of a slot. The tube has an aperture for admitting light. Panels to be viewed which are cut to the shape of, and depict, scenery, human, animal or cartoon figures, for example are constituted by flaps folded up from the base.

United States Patent 1 Hawkyard 1 Sept. 25, 1973 PEEPSHOWS [76] lnventor: Thomas WtI-lawkyard, 8 Well Walk,

Hampstead, London, NW3, England 22 Filed: Oct.20, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 190,904

[52] U.S. Cl. 206/46 AM, 46/13, 229/928 [51] Int. Cl. 865d 79/00, A63h 33/00 [58] Field of Search 206/46 AM, 45.31;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1935 Andrews 46/13 1/1876 Reckendorfer 206/4531 UX 1/1945 Wise 2/1936 Kondolf 206/4531 X 2,313,376 3/1943 Ullman 206145.31 x 2,321,473 6/1943 Ferguson 206/45.3l X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 371,448 1/1907 France 46/13 Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer AttorneyC. Yardley Chittick et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A peepshow comprises an elongate cardboard tube into which slides an insert having a base and side and end walls, one of which end walls has a peep hole in the form of a slot. The tube has an aperture for admitting light. Panels to be viewed which are cut to the shape of, and depict, scenery, human, animal or cartoon figures, for example are constituted by flaps folded up from the base.

. 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PEEPSHOWS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Peepshows are well known as a form of entertainment device and a typical design has opposite side walls which are concertinared so as to provide recesses for the reception of panels cut to represent scenery, animals or human or cartoon figures. A disadvantage of this form of construction is that such peep shows are unsuitable for sale as souvenirs at tourist and other attractions, cinemas and so on.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a design for a peepshow which is simple, cheap to manufacture and suitable for sale at tourist and other attractions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a peepshow which can take a form suitable for mailing.

A peepshow provided by the invention comprises an elongate tubular sleeve of rectangular cross-section, in one wall of which is formed at least one aperture for admitting light to illuminate the interior of the sleeve, and an interchangeable insert which is slidable into the sleeve from one end thereof, the insert having at least a base portion and end walls, one of which end walls has a peep hole. At least two panels bear pictorial representations of scenery, human, animal or cartoon figures, for example, fold up from the base portion of the insert into a position wherein they can be viewed through the peephole. For storage and/or transmission by the mail, the sleeve is collapsed to form a substantially flat envelope from which project removable flaps for closing the ends of the envelope. The insert is also collapsed and is retained within the envelope. The aperture for admitting light. is closed in this condition of the sleeve by a removable panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows in perspective and partly broken away a peep show according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows the blank for the insert,

FIG. 3 shows the sleeve and insert formed into a package suitable for mailing, the envelope being partly broken away to reveal the insert,

FIG. 4 shows the sleeve immediately after folding into tubular form.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the peep show comprises a housing in the form of an elongate sleeve 1 made of cardboard and havingin its upper surface a slot 2. A sheet of translucent paper or plastics film 3 is secured to the'inner sleeve surface at the edge of the slot 2 so as to allow the interior of the sleeve to be illuminated by natural or artificial lighting without being visible through the slot 2. The sleeve defines a passage of rectangular cross-section and is closed at the ends by end walls 4 and 5. The front end wall 4 is provided with a peep hole in the form of a slot 7. The exterior surface of the sleeve bears a suitable design indicative of the subject matter of the peepshow.

Within the sleeve is an insert 8 comprising a base portion 9 and upstanding side walls 10. The walls and 10 are provided on their inner surfaces with photographic representations of scenery so as to provide a background for the panels 12 to be viewed through the peep hole. In the case where the subject matter of the peep show is a city or other tourist attraction, the panels l2 bear representations of buildings, trees, or other features of scenery and are cut appropriately to shape. The insert is constructed from a cardboard blank such as that shown in FIG. 2 and has portions for forming the base and the side walls, 9 and 10 respectively, and the end walls 4, 5, the various portions being hingedly connected along fold-lines. Tabs 6 are provided on the end walls so as to cooperate with the inner surface of the sleeve and hold the walls 4, 5 inposition.

The panels 12 are formed by flaps folded up from the base portion which is slit along the lines 13 and scored along the fold lines 14. The panels are held in their erected positions by tabs 17 which are integral with the panels and are cut out from the side wall portions.

Instead of the panels 12 being hinged to the base, they may fold in from the side walls or alternatively the insert may be tubular with panels folding down from the top wall of the tube and held in position by tabs folded up from the base or in from the side wall. In this case, the panels are illuminated through the openings left in the top wall of the insert. This method of construction is suitable for depicting arches or trees having foilage which meets overhead. Panels folding up from both the base and walls may of course be employed in a single insert.

Other modifications may be made. Thus the size,

shape and number of peep holes may be changed and the slot 2 may be replaced by a number of smaller openings. The panels may depict human, animal or cartoon figures instead of scenery, depending upon the theme of a peep show.

The peep show may be constructed so as to make it suitable for mailing as well as being more easily storable. Accordingly, the sleeve is manufactured with a flap 19 at each of its ends, each flap projecting from the end of the top and a side wall 21, 22. With the flaps l9 tucked in, the sleeve forms a substantially flat envelope having parallel, flat sides and within which the blank for the insert is contained, as shown in FIG. 3. In this condition, the sleeve is folded longitudinally only along the fold lines 27 and not along the fold lines 24. The outside of the base portion is provided with a space for entering the name and address of the intended recipient. When the package is received, the recipient removed the blank for the insert and tears off the flaps 19 thereby permitting the sleeve to be folded along the scored fold lines 24 into its normal tubular form (FIG. 4). A panel 20 which covers and protects the film 3 is then stripped away, the tab 23 at the end of the panel being suitable for gripping between thumb and forefinger. For ease of removal, the flaps l9 and panel 20 are separated from the remaining parts of the sleeve by tear lines 25, 26.

The panels 12 are then folded up and the tabs 17 positioned so as to'hold the panels in their upright positions. The walls 10, too, are folded up and the insert slid into the sleeve. The end walls 4, 5 are then folded up to close the ends of the sleeve and are held in place by tucking the flaps 6 into the ends of the sleeve, after the fashion of a cardboard box.

It will be clear that the foregoing disclosure is given solely by way of illustration and that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A peep show comprising in combination an elongate tubular sleeve, an insert slidable into said sleeve, and end walls closing the ends of said sleeve, said sleeve having therein at least one aperture for admitting light to the interior of said sleeve and one of saidend walls having therein a peep hole, said insert bearing panels to be viewed through said peephole. 1

2. Apeep show as claimed in-claim 1, wherein end walls are hinged to the base of the insert.

3. A peep show as claimed in claim 2, wherein said panels are hinged to the base of the insert.

4. A peep show as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insert is formed from a cardboard blank and said panels areconstituted by flaps cut from and folding up from the base portion of .the insert.

5. A peep show as claimed in claim 4, wherein said insert has side walls and the panels have tabs cut from the side wall portions of the blank, which tabs hold the panels upright relative to the base.

6. A package for fonning the peep show of claim 1 and intended for transmission by mail, comprising:

a cardboard outer cover including:

substantially parallel, flat sides joined along longitudinally extending first fold lines; a longitudinally extending second fold line in each side intermediate the first fold lines; a panel defined between tear lines located in an area between one pair of adjacent first and second fold lines;

said

a translucent film adhered to said area within said outer cover and being at least eo-extensive with panel;

a flap at each end of the outer cover for closing the outer cover and thereby forming an envelope;

a cardboard inner member retained within said outer cover, including:

a base portion;

an end portion at each end of the base portion, one of said end portions having at least one peep hole therein; said base portion being scored and slitted to define at least two panels capable of being folded into an upright position relative to the baseportion;

said end portions being dimensioned so as to close the ends of the outer cover when the latter is folded along both said first and second fold lines to form a tube.

7. A package as claimed in claim 6, wherein said end flaps are removable.

8. A package as claimed in claim 6, wherein said inner member has side wall portions in each of which are formed tabs integral with the panels. 

1. A peep show comprising in combination an elongate tubular sleeve, an insert slidable into said sleeve, and end walls closing the ends of said sleeve, said sleeve having therein at least one aperture for admitting light to the interior of said sleeve and one of said end walls having therein a peep hole, said insert bearing panels to be viewed through said peep hole.
 2. A peep show as claimed in claim 1, wherein said End walls are hinged to the base of the insert.
 3. A peep show as claimed in claim 2, wherein said panels are hinged to the base of the insert.
 4. A peep show as claimed in claim 1, wherein said insert is formed from a cardboard blank and said panels are constituted by flaps cut from and folding up from the base portion of the insert.
 5. A peep show as claimed in claim 4, wherein said insert has side walls and the panels have tabs cut from the side wall portions of the blank, which tabs hold the panels upright relative to the base.
 6. A package for forming the peep show of claim 1 and intended for transmission by mail, comprising: a cardboard outer cover including: substantially parallel, flat sides joined along longitudinally extending first fold lines; a longitudinally extending second fold line in each side intermediate the first fold lines; a panel defined between tear lines located in an area between one pair of adjacent first and second fold lines; a translucent film adhered to said area within said outer cover and being at least co-extensive with said panel; a flap at each end of the outer cover for closing the outer cover and thereby forming an envelope; a cardboard inner member retained within said outer cover, including: a base portion; an end portion at each end of the base portion, one of said end portions having at least one peep hole therein; said base portion being scored and slitted to define at least two panels capable of being folded into an upright position relative to the base portion; said end portions being dimensioned so as to close the ends of the outer cover when the latter is folded along both said first and second fold lines to form a tube.
 7. A package as claimed in claim 6, wherein said end flaps are removable.
 8. A package as claimed in claim 6, wherein said inner member has side wall portions in each of which are formed tabs integral with the panels. 